Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-03-31
THE clovEN HOOP HIDDEN.
rhe Tfme when the Greatest Repubiiean
Rascaiity Might BE Punished L. Past
ResponsibllIty OF the Republican Party.

| Arqus has not yet explained to its readers why
| the Democratic Administration has neglected
/ to hriug action against the Republicans who
/ have robbed the Government while they were
| in ONCE The Argus charged that the Govern
| ment under the Republicans, was \ '.mass OF
fostering corruption" II asserted that millions
| Of dollars were stolen and that there were hun
dreds Of defalcations. Its charges were so clear
| and specific that it asked why the guilty
men were allowed 10 go unpublished Since
then the Argss has dropped the subject This
| is singular action.-Troy Telegram.
The argus dropped the subject pre-
cisely because it had given i. the fullest
and most exhaustive consideration.
and, when accused of glittering gener-
| alities, replied by what our esteemed
contemporary in Troy justly terms
clear and specific charges. There was
nothing more to be said on the subject.
But the Telegram is surprised that the
Democratic Administration has not APP
piled itself to the task of hunting down
the. public plunderers and furnishing
them for their rascality. and it regards
the silence of the argus. in not ex-
planning this matter, as singular ac-
ton. Nothing singular about it. The
first duty of the Democratic Admins
tration was to purify the public service
from the corruption with which nearly
quarter of a century of Republican
rule had poisoned it. This was a task
that called for all the time and ener-
gies of the Administration.
The defalcations of United States
officials during the Administrations of
Presidents Grant. Hayes and Arthur,
as compiled from the public records,
show that $12. 1893. 476.49 were stolen
from the Government, and this does
not include the money stolen under
the WHISPERING frauds, star-route
frauds. Post-otfice Department defalca-
tons. Burnside's frauds. Howgate's
frauds, the Naval Medical Bureau
frauds, or the defalcation of the dis
bursting clerk of the State Department.
Those frauds extended over con-
siderable period. Some have been in
vestigated under Republican Admins
tration, but the guilty men were. in
the most important instances, allowed
to go UNPUBLISHED. Dorsey and Brady
were lucky in this respect
1t is easy to speak of furnishing those
rascais by due process OF LAW, but next
to an impossibility to corner them SO
as to obtain a conviction. The ramifi-
cations of their schemes were so widely
extended and involved so many in
terests that. like the spider. they felt
secure within the web of their own
weaving. They covered up their tracks
without difficulty, since they had high
officers of the Government to shield
them. Investigation after invcstiga-
ton was called for in vain, or, when
responded to, was so bun glingly MAN.
aged that no satisfactory results were
attaina5le. The only result was to
cause the rascals to be more cautious
and to destroy, rs far as possible. the
legal proofs of their infamy.
At the time when they might have
been punished for their misdeeds, the
Administration refused to
do 50. Now that the necessary proofs
are IN many cases no longer attainable,
witnesses spirited away or documents
the Democratic Administra-
ton is called upon to punish the delin-
quencies and defalcations OF Republic
an office holders. We recall to the
Of our esteemed contempt
rary the case of Surgcon-General Wales
and the correspondence between Secre-
tary Chandler and the lamented Mr..
Hendricks in the summer of 1884.
MIR. Hendricks thus alluded to
Chandeliers connection with this case
For the Bureau OF Medicine and
Surgery the defalcation is large. but the
more serious fact is that it could and
did extend through two Administers.
tions of the department, q period of
nearly four years, without detection.
You testified that some inquiry
was made, and the conclusion
was, that while there were sus-
picious circumstances, they did not
warrant conclusion of guilt. After a
notice. verbal and in writing, you left
the men in office. You did not bring
the frauds to light nor the guilty par
ties to punishment. What is your next
excused Worse, if possible, than be-
fore. You say large number Of Con-
gressmen recommended that the head
of the bureau, DIR. Wales, should be re-
appointed. Members of Congress knew
nothing Of the frauds; they had no OPP
pOrtunity to know. 1t was within
} OuI IcstCh tsuu PO"Oi- LUZ LIZ w -'iO''
was not one of the three guilty rOgues.
He neither forged the vouchers nor
embezzled the money. His response
bility in the case is just the same rs
your own. He was the Official superior
of the three rogues. as you were OF
himself as well rs of them. Neither he
nor yourself exposed the frauds nor
punished the parties"
This is but single instance of the
unwillingness CT high officials under
the Republican Administration to bring
defaulters and swindlers to Justice.